


dynamic tension

by CadetDru



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Canon-Typical Worms (The Magnus Archives), Character Study, Coping Mechanisms, Gen, Minor Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Pining, Possibly Unrequited Love, Season/Series 05, Self Confidence Issues, The Lonely as a Metaphor for Depression (The Magnus Archives), charles atlas, dynamic tension, exercise, fitness, spoilers through 160, weight loss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-16 11:48:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28955976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CadetDru/pseuds/CadetDru
Summary: When Jane Prentiss trapped him inside of his flat because he was powerless against her, Martin evaluated his priorities. He wanted to be fitter, more muscular.  He wanted to be in the best shape that he could be so he could get away faster the next time.
Kudos: 2





	dynamic tension

Charles Atlas was a pioneer of Dynamic Tension, wherein the human body was pitted against itself, working with itself, to increase the physique of its own form. Martin had a very thin book on this in his flat.He never got around to reading it, until his power was cut and he had no choice. He also had Cat's Cradle which he had rad and which touched in the same idea. He couldn't check since he had no power to watch any videos, but he could have sworn Rocky Horror had a song about it too. The goal was to pit his body against itself to make it better, faster, stronger.

When Jane Prentiss trapped him inside of his flat because he was powerless against her, Martin evaluated his priorities. He wanted to be fitter, more muscular.He wanted to be in the best shape that he could be so he could get away faster the next time.

He had thirteen days barricaded in his own home with nothing else to do. He had time and nervous energy.He didn't have any equipment. It didn't matter. He started with some crunches, push-ups, squats. He didn't get much in the way of walking in except when he did his rounds to make sure there were no cracks for the worms to crawled in.

Martin tried not to use the knocking as a metronome. It was too irregular.The beat of his own heart was too irregular as well.It sped up and evened out the harder he worked at it. He ended up just counting aloud. The worms didn't seem to mind.

There wasn't any real difference when Martin left his flat nearly a fortnight later.His diet had not been the best to begin with. It hadn't been enough time for any real definition.It didn't matter.Jon told him to move into the Archives and he did.He kept up his exercises when everyone else went home for the day, or when Jon was otherwise occupied. Rosie nearly caught him at it a couple of times, but she didn't say anything.

He outran Jon and Tim, leaving them to be attacked by the worms.He hadn't meant to.Jon's leg had been hurt; Martin probably could have carried him, but he didn't know how to offer. 

He didn't really show the difference until he got his own place again. He finally got around to buying new clothes. Jon called him out on it, acting like losing weight one way and gaining it back in another made Martin untrustworthy.

About the time that he'd gotten himself sorted out was when Jon's tenuous trust in those around him started to erode. When Jon couldn't be trusted to eat regularly. When he started stalking his employees. When Martin had to turn to Elias.

Elias turned Martin's concerns around to praising Martin for "taking care of himself" when Jon was clearly letting himself go by not eating and wasting away.Elias somehow insinuated that Martin was qualifying himself for promotions.The organizational chart for the archives was fairly straightforward; there was only one spot above an archival assistant and Martin did not want it. If anything, Martin wanted to protect Jon from himself.Martin was no researcher, and a terrible bodyguard, but he could try to get better at both.

Jon was a terrible motivation, but it was something to focus on. Martin wanted nothing more than to keep Jon safe. Jon didn't want thst, the nightmare forces after Jon didn't want that, there was hardly any point.

After the Unknowing it was something more to focus on. The isolation of working out alone was something that Peter approved of. Peter thought self-improvement implied a certain level of self-loathing. Martin was happy to let Peter think that.

In the cabin, with Jon, Martin still kept up his exercises.Jon either thought it was adorable or amusing. Martin didn't ask which.

After the world,ended, Martin finally gave up. Atlas shrugged and cowered from the Eye and the world kept on not turning.There was no ok t to anything except finding a way to turn everything back on.


End file.
